Automobile sleighing attachment.



PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906 C.C.D OLAN. AUTOMOBILE SLEIGHING ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1905- Q/vitueoau I alumna;

. To -all whomit inwy concern: Y

. UNITED .STAEJS J PATENT OF ICE; @H- l 9Hi -%PO QK QBINW.we

fnu o MoB iLE ISLEIIGHING AT TAC H'ME fi T i m si moi;

Beit'known thatI, CHRISTOPHER G: DoiiAN,

" acitizen of the 'United States residing, at

. expensive device of t "may be readily applied 1 to a motor-vehicle" for adapting it for-use as :a sleigh, one in which 'Lockport, in the county of. Niagara and State of New Y ork, h'aveg invented new'and useful Imroveinents in Automobile Sleighing'Attac merits, of whichthe-iollowing is a specification. I

' This invention relates to sleighing attachmerits forautomobile's 'andhas for its objects to produce a comparatively simple in- .the vehicle will in operationbe caused to travel positively and smoothly over the ground, and

-' one wherein the ice-engaging nembers or creepers will operate w1tha-yield1ng action,

vehicle and gjnjuryto the surface" ofa paved- I struefion; I '2 5 *and combination of fully inafter'described;

parts more automobileequipped-"witha 'sleighin attachment "embodying the invention.

. motor-vehiclehaving a rear drive shaft or is an en" arged section takenon the line 2 2 of theproipelling-wheels, -JFig. iisa detail plan hub. v Referring to thief-drawings, 1 designate'sa j axle '2 and aj'front axle 3, these parts being a the rear s an ,pelling members or whee -5,' these parts being substituted 'for'and in-- is character which.

'"a'portion-of one of the runners and its 7 In 'the-acco npanyingdrawingsx Figure '1- is a' side elevation showing conventionally an i oftheusual or anyappropriate construction and material and adapted in practice to per-.

form their ordinary functions .In accordance with the present inveniton aft 01' axle 2, which is driven in suitable manner, is 'eduipped'with proterchangeable with the usual transporting- Wheels of the vehicle; a The propelling members or 1 are identical in construction and o eration,

face with a horizontally-projecting are each provided upon its norma 1i; inner I car ng portion of flange5", disposed concentric with wheels 4which' s 14 and runners and suitabl remote from the marginal edge I oft-he whee and having bearing openings or.

perforations 6 arranged at appropriately.- spacod intervals and at equal distances apart,

where *eries of the wheeland rim-.7 to limitt eir ina wheel or diske a bearin ring or annulus},

there being heinnereface of the I spaced from the face of t ie. wheel byrneans of-spacingmembers or, blocks 8', riveted or otherwise secured to thelatte said blocks, which extend radially of thedislg'being a r-i ranged in airsspac'ed to produce 'guideways v9 in axial alinernentwith the o eningsfi.

Carried by each ofithe whee s 4 isa series of sharpened en a ing m ernb ers or creepers 10, pre erablyeo, t e form herein shownfto extend transversely ofthe wheel and having shanks or stems ll' seated between thering. 4

v ded with reduced portions or sections -12 'resentingshoulders;;13, the-sections 12 'be-.

7. and adjacent face, of {the wheel and promg entered respectively, through the o "'nling 6 and terminatediat the innerface-oi thev flange 5 in engaging portions .or heads 14, which-serve -through contact with the flange toliniit the outwardir oyenient of the engagy ing members under the action of normal expanded springs l fii It, is tobe observed \h in this connection. thatgthe engaging, inem hers 1-0 haveitheir shanks 11; disposed for l ongitudinally sliding movenre'ntgeach in'one 50f the I guideways 1,9,; which also receive the springs 15, and thatgunder-thisarrangement e members-willact; yieldably v in engaging r the surface overwhich tliepropelling-whcels Fig. 1.5; Fig. 3 is aninnerlfaceviewof one of y they will contactwitl the eripliwardLrnoveiiient;asseen in Fig.-12 and for a pur os'e' which will hereinafter appear. p T e. wheels 4 are each'provide with a hub or sleeve 16, formed at its inner end with an the width 0mm hen 4',

outturned bearing portion or flange -17,'

against which the inner face of the wheel contacts, there being arranged upon the hub or sleeve and-for contact with the outer face of the wheel a bearing member or ring 18, while the runners 5 are each provided with a fixed .hub or sleeve 19, adapted to fit loosely upon the hub Iii-and maintainedout ofcontact with the latter by means or antifriction-balls 20, arranged, referably, as herein shown.

The hub 16, w ch fits upon the usual wheelreceivin s indle of' the axle for rotation therewit is adapted in ractice to revolve Within the sleeve 19,.whic 'latter'and hub 16 "are secured in place-,as, usual, by'nmeans of nuts 21, threaded ontothe end of the axle-' spindle.

. In practice when the shaft is driven the propelling-wheels 4 will move therewith and throughengagement of the members or creel t e ers 1O withthe snow or ice will cause runners 5 to slide over the latter and impart motion to the vehicle, as will be readily understood. Itis to be particularly observed that as the members come into engageinent with the surface they will move inward against the action of springs 15, which are thus compressed, and consequently will, as

heretofore mentioned, have a yieldable engaging action thus to prevent marring of a pavedor concrete road ovfer which the vehicle may be traveling, it being apparent that after each of the members 10, has passed out of contact with thesurface it will be automatface over which the wheel 4 travels they will yield under the influence of. the s rings 15 until their inner edges contact wit the periphery of the Wheel for limiting their inward movement and causing them to present a rigid front to the ground-surface. Thus it will be seen that under this construction the engaging members combine the twofold'advantage of yieldability while moving into en- I gagement with the ground for relieving uneven movement of the wheel 4 and after.

such'engagement remaining rigid for insurmg a firm enga ement with the surface over which the whee travels.

I I have herein shown the vehicle as having itsfront axle equi ped with propelling members 4, which wi serve to carry the front runners 5 over surface spaces which may be barren of snow or ice, it being understood that this is the only function performed by the front propellers. The may be and in the majority of instances are ispensed with.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I produce a com aratively sim le inexpensive device of t e character escribed admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view,'it being understood that minor changes in the details herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with a vehicle and its axle, of'a propelling-wheel fixed u on and for rotation with the axle, said whee being provided with a horizontal flange having guideopenings, a bearing-ring attaching to the wheel at a point beyond the flange, spaced members interposed between the bearin ring and wheel and constituting guides, ieldable surface-engaging members having 3 ranks arranged in the guides and movable throu h the openings in the flange, and springs or maintaining the'engaging members in normal projected condition, said members being extended laterally beyond their shanks for contact with the periphery of the wheel to limit their inward movement. A

2. The combination with a vehicle and its axle, of a propelling member fixed upon the latter and provided with surface-engaging members, a sleeve provided on the ropelling member, a runner having a hub rotatively mounted on the sleeve and antifriction members interposed between the hub and sleeve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence'of two witnesses.

CHRISTOPHER C. DOLAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. FLETCHER, K. ALLEN. 

